Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Active wind loading was resulting in slab formation but cracking was isolated and things were not overly sensitive on the surface. We dropped a few cornices with no results, and we ski cut across the top of a few chutes that we felt we could safely manage without result, the main point being "that we felt we could safely manage." With so much wind loading going on, and with a known persistent weak layer problem, we weren't willing to venture off of ridge crests and I feel that the slightly stubborn nature of fresh wind slabs would only serve to lure one further on to the slope before they released. </p>
New and wind drifted snow has exacerbated already dangerous avalanche conditions and this should not be understated. Human triggered avalanches up to 2' deep involving fresh deposits of wind drifted snow are likely. Additionally, the new snow load has increased the likelihood of triggering deeper and more dangerous avalanches on buried persistent weak layers of faceted snow.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>This is a known problem and the additional snow load is only stressing it more. I and anyone I know will continue to avoid slopes steeper than 30 degrees on slopes facing W-N-SE, additional snow load notwithstanding. </p> <p>Active wind loading was forming fresh drifts up to 2' deep on top of low-density snow that fell the day before. Previous comments describe the condition and behavior of these wind slabs but deep and dangerous drifts have formed on all leeward slopes. </p>
Dense drifts up to 2' deep were forming along leeward ridge crests along with fresh, semi-sensitive cornices. Slabby conditions were developing on top of the low-density snow that fell yesterday.